The Long Way Home

Summary:  When she was 18, Abby Foster married Blaine Watts, an older man chosen for her by her father and left Marietta, although she loved 17-year-old Joe Carlyle. Eight years later, she comes back to find Joe and ask for forgiveness before she starts a new life. Her offer is a hot weekend to make up for all the pain she caused him.

Joe Carlyle, one part of the so-called Carlyle crazies, had fallen head over heels in love with Abby. When she chose Blaine, he said hurtful words to her, his world had crumpled and didn't want anything to do with her.

So when faced with Abby’s offer, Joe assumes that she only wants him to fill her bed at night, since she was staying in Marietta for only three days. It had taken Joe forever to get over Abby, and he knows that if he agrees to this weekend, he will fall for her again only to have to watch her leave again.

The people of Marietta think that Abby chose Blaine because of his wealth and she has come back after her divorce because she knows that Joe is now rich.

This book by Kathleen O’Brien is about how Abby and Joe get to know each other again as level-headed adults and what happens to them in the weekend that Abby stays at Marietta.

My thoughts:  This story is about reclaiming lost love.

The chemistry and emotions between Joe and Abby are portrayed well. It did not have unnecessary angst and angry revenge in the main characters that you normally see in such stories.

Although the story happens over a weekend, the years of history between the two makes it believable.
The secondary characters are also enjoyable. I particularly liked Joe’s mother, who is very protective of her boys, and his brother Rafe, who is going through his version of the ‘Carlyle crazies’.

This is a clean, quiet romance, with a nice family and community vibe.

Note: This book was given to me by Tule Publishing in exchange for an honest review. I thank them for that.